Iceland backs lower sales tax on music

The Icelandic government has announced that it will cut the tax on recorded music from 24.5 to seven per cent from March 2007. Iceland currently has the second highest rate of sales tax on recorded music in the world, lower than only Hungary and Norway, who both levy rates of 25 per cent. ...more

HP reveals five new notebooks but keeps quiet on Microsoft's Ultra Mobile PC

HP today announced a broad swathe of notebooks and mobile technologies at its second annual Mobility Summit in San Francisco. But it was notable that amidst all the glitz and glamour of HP's new marketing campaign, Microsoft's Ultra Mobile PC initiative - codenamed Origami - didn't get a mention. In the UK, the most notable new products are five business notebooks, and it was the lightweight tc2400 that stole most of the limelight. ...more

Linux Expo 2002: Penguins on the PlayStation

The Linux kit for PlayStation 2 has been out since May, but what are people doing with it? We caught up with Jason Doig, senior engineer at Sony, to find out just how the take up of the kit is going. He is insistent that the kit is not for gamers but for Linux enthusiasts with experience. Sony released the kit, says Doig, not to sell it to the masses, but to encourage enthusiasm and show support for the operating system that they themselves use. ...more

AOL sticks its oar into Microsoft case

AOL is to intervene in the Microsoft anti-trust case, say sources. According to The New York Times, America's biggest ISP will file a "friend of the court" brief supporting the government in Microsoft's trial. Various briefs have been filed before against Microsoft, but only from trade associations such as the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) and the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA). ...more

Yahoo! upgrades search marketing

Yahoo! has revealed details of its long awaited overhaul of its search marketing arm. The new system introduces a new set of targeting features and a new API which will allow Yahoo to compete with rival products from Google and Microsoft. Among the improvements that have been announced is a more user friendly version of its control panel to analyse the sales data. ...more